Hudson, Wisconsin, School Board Meeting

June 14, 2005

(Unofficial transcript begins 42 minutes 34 seconds into meeting. Not proofread as of 12:30 p.m. Saturday, June 26, 2005.)

Annette Cook: Next item on our agenda is topics for discussion, Item No. 7, we do not have anything listed there this evening. So we will move onto Item 8, Citizens Request to Speak to the Board on Non-Agenda Items. It is at this time in our meeting that citizens can address the Board on items not listed on our agenda. We would ask these people to come forward again give their name and address for the record and comments this section is limited to 15 minutes total time. The first citizen is Curt Weese.

Curt Weese: My name is Curt Weese, and I live at 613 Cedar Drive North, a letter was written to the Star Observer this past week berating taxpayers for asking for information. The board member who wrote this letter seems to feel that he should be able to determine which information is useful and which is not. Let me remind that board member that this is not his function, nor should it be. Let me also remind this board member that no publicly, that to publicly ridicule those asking for information flies in the face of what the open records law is meant to do. Let me also remind this board member of a few items that were discovered via the open records law. It was discovered through an open records request that we have a huge fund balance which this year should top $17 million. Where was this board member during that time? He was a member of the Finance Committee and made no effort to inform the public of this reserve balance. In addition, he allowed a vote to be taken on a $25 million referendum in 2003 without disclosing this to the public. It was discovered through an open records request that we indeed have no space crunch at the Middle School and will in fact have fewer students there this year than two years ago. Where was this board member during that time. He was allowing Ron Bernth to mislead the public through a mailing and misinformation presented at the October 2002 School Board meeting that stated otherwise. It was discovered through an Open Records request that the Teacher’s Union refuses to allow the district to bid out health insurance. Where was this board member during that time? He voted to allow the Union to take us to referendum in 2001 for a teachers’ pay levy override, and he voted again in 2004 to go above and beyond the qualified economic offer.

Annette Cook: Mr. Weese, excuse me, I’m sorry for interrupting but you’re bringing up a lot of different topics, and your request to speak was on Request for Information so it asks you to,

Curt Weese: That’s what I’m talking about…

Annette Cook: Rather than going off on all different topics, and if you have a particular…

Curt Weese: Do you have a, Am I being limited to my right to speak?

Annette Cook: Mr. Weese, I was not finished speaking.

Curt Weese: Neither was I.

Annette Cook: If you have, Well, it is within my jurisdiction to interrupt you if I have a comment, and I would just note that if you have a particular concern with a particular board member I would ask you to address that board member via phone call or a personal note rather than at a public meeting.

Curt Weese: I choose a public meeting.

Annette Cook: So again, contain your comments to request for information rather than bringing up a lot of different topics.

Curt Weese: Are you limiting my speech?

Annette Cook: I am not limiting your speech.

Curt Weese: You are limiting my speech.

Annette Cook: I am just doing what is advised on this that if you put a topic down that’s the topic…

Curt Weese: But right now, you’re limiting my speech.

Annette Cook: You may continue, you have about 2 minutes.

Curt Weese: Well, you took a minute from me, so give me a minute back. It was discovered through an Open Records Request that the actual classroom usage, that what the actual classroom usage was in the high school, where was this board member during this time he was voting on a $25 million dollar referendum without ever seeing the information himself, in fact, nobody on the board had seen it before they voted. There have been many other instances of information that have only come to light because of request for information, including a Ron Bernth golf outing. So for this board member to attack those asking for accountability in the paper is completely uncalled for. But I will say that if this board member wants a public fight, he is going to get one. If he wants to play these types of games when he had then he had better be prepared to explain his actions over the past few years.

Priscilla Wyeth: Madam Chair, we have left the arena of a question requiring board response and have now gotten into personal attacks, and I believe a point of order is necessary.

Curt Weese: I haven’t named the board member.

Annette Cook: I would agree, I would agree, again, I would ask you to contain your topic to one area. It is difficult for the board to respond when you are bringing up multiple topics.

Curt Weese: I don’t want the Board to respond. I don’t care if the Board responds.

Priscilla Wyeth: Madam Chair, …

Annette Cook: Well, again, you’re bringing up topics that have, you have brought up in the past, so I would ask you to…

Curt Weese: No, your request is whatever is not on the agenda…

Annette Cook: I would ask you to conclude your comments, Mr. Weese.

Curt Weese: Whatever’s not on the agenda. These are not on the agenda.

Annette Cook: Mr. Weese,…

Curt Weese: Requests for information…

Annette Cook: Your comments…

Curt Weese: …are a vital part of our democracy.

Priscilla Wyeth: Madam Chair, we have heard these from Mr. Weese before,…

Curt Weese: What is wrong with that?

Annette Cook: I would agree. Again conclude…

Curt Weese: To say that requests for information are a vital part of our democracy, you have a problem with that Miss Wyeth? Do you have a problem with me coming to the microphone and saying that?

Annette Cook: Mr. Weese, you are out of order.

Priscilla Wyeth: Curt, Curt, you…

Curt Weese: How am I out of order?

Priscilla Wyeth: We have other requests to speak in front of this board. Mr. Weese, we would like you to sit down and let the others who have requests to speak to the board

Curt Weese: You keep interrupting me.

Priscilla Wyeth: …take advantage of those.

Annette Cook: Please conclude your comments.

Priscilla Wyeth: You’ve come to the end of your time.

Curt Weese: I’ll conclude, I’ll keep going. Requests for information are a vital part of our democracy…

Annette Cook: Mr. Weese, please conclude your comments, please, you are out of order, you are not listening,…

Curt Weese: I’m concluding.

Annette Cook: And, again, if you have a particular issue with a board member, I would appreciate you contacting that board member individually via telephone or written communication.

Curt Weese: If board members go in the paper…

Annette Cook: Conclude your comments, please.

Curt Weese: Excuse me?

Annette Cook: I said, conclude your comments, please.

Curt Weese: I am. Requests for information are a vital part of our democracy and are essential for exposing government corruption and waste. Conflicts of interest are also exposed, like a former board member receiving a $120,000 no-bid contract for overseeing the Willow River project. Or bankers and business leaders who do substantial business with the school district…

Priscilla Wyeth: Madam Chair, Mr. Weese is not concluding his remarks, he has continued to list items that have been addressed in front of the board more than three times already and our policy clearly states that items that have been discussed three or more times are not to be brought up in front of the board, they are to be pursued through other avenues.

Curt Weese: I don’t think your policy states that. I haven’t been to the microphone since November. This is only the third time I’ve spoken to the board this school year.

Annette Cook: Again, conclude…

Curt Weese: This is the third time I’ve spoken to the board this school year.

Annette Cook: Mr. Weese, conclude your comments without bringing other examples up. We have heard these from you.

Curt Weese: In closing, can I close?

Priscilla Wyeth: Please do.

Annette Cook: Please.

Curt Weese: I have this written here, it says In closing. In closing, I would, I have several other questions for the board. Please consider these questions to be official requests for information.

Priscilla Wyeth: Mr. Weese, Madam Chair, I believe all requests for information need to come in writing so that we can respond to them in same.

Annette Cook: Yes, they do.

Bil Danielson: Verbal or written.

Priscilla Wyeth: I think for all the recordkeeping, Mr. Danielson, it makes a great deal of sense to have everything in writing, then there’s no dispute over what was meant by the request…

Annette Cook: Over what was being requested. I would agree. So if you have a request, we would be glad to take it, but I would like it in writing. Mr. Danielson, you do not have the floor, so please…

Curt Weese: I guess the last question I have for the board is that when a citizen comes to this microphone, do you have the right to determine what they say and what they don’t say?

Annette Cook: The guidelines that we use are when you ask to speak on a topic you address that topic and not bring up multiple topics…

Curt Weese: And it’s your purview as to whether or not I have varied too far from that topic…

Annette Cook: When you put a broad category down, it is very easy to bring up a lot of different topics.

Curt Weese: So you have the right to interpret…

Annette Cook: And in the past I have commented…

Bob Muchlinski,

From the Audience: Sit down you ass.

Annette Cook: …I have commented to do…

Bob Muchlinski,

From the audience Boo.

Annette Cook: …to you and other citizens on that in putting a broad topic down and not narrowing your focus of discussion simply for this matter because you bring up multiple multiple events or comments on…

Curt Weese: So it’s not the time, it’s the content…

Annette Cook: Your time is up Mr. Weese.

Curt Weese: It’s the content you have a problem with, it’s the content that you have a problem with…

Annette Cook: Your time is up Mr. Weese.

Curt Weese: Am I understanding that? It’s the content you’re having a problem with.

Dan Tjornehoj: Madam Chair…

Annette Cook: Please take your seat, Mr. Weese.

Curt Weese: I just want to, that’s a question, is it the content?

Dan Tjornehoj: Madam Chair, can I ask for a 5-minute recess, please?

Annette Cook: I would agree. Mr. Weese, please take your seat.

Curt Weese: Is it the content of my speech that bothers you?

Annette Cook: Curt, I’ve already explained my answer, I am not going to continue…

Curt Weese: That’s a yes or no question…

Annette Cook: …(one word inaudible), to say the same answer. Please take your seat.

Curt Weese: There’s no answer?

Annette Cook: Please take your seat. We are recessed...

Priscilla Wyeth: We are recessed.

Annette Cook: …til 5 to.

(No taping during recess.)

Annette Cook: (Taping resumed with a skip in speech). …the audience that uhm requests for information do not have to be in writing but it is our suggestion to citizens that they be in writing again as Board Member Wyeth alluded to so that we have an accurate record of what the requestor is asking for and this is something that I have mentioned at previous meetings and when citizens are addressing the board at times it is difficult to ascertain specifically what they are requesting when they get up and speak on multiple topics. So, therefore, in order for us to be able to respond accurately to a citizen and to understand what they are requesting we do advise them to put requests in writing so that we can respond to them. I would also note that we do have a closed session this evening uhm and that is scheduled for 8:15, it is listed on our agenda, uhm, so we will proceed and I would ask the citizens who have yet to speak to keep their comments to 3 minutes so that we can, uhm, make our 8:15 Closed Session meeting. The next person to speak is Mark Pribonic and again I would remind citizens that when you request to speak on a topic please keep your comments, uhm, related to that particular topic.

Mark Pribonic: Mark Pribonic, 1005 Cardinal Circle, today June 14^th, 2005 is not only Flag Day but also the one-year anniversary of the Market and Johnson golf outing at Wild Ridge Golf Course outside of Eau Claire. Concerning the matter of the June 2004 expense report, this board has publicly stated that this was an isolated incident, that the superintendent voluntarily reimbursed the district and that it cost the taxpayers nothing. The board is portraying to the public that the matter was thoroughly investigated and there were no other cases of malfeasance found. I hold in my hand the expense reports of the superintendent for June and August of 2004 which was obtained through a request for information. Now, before I go I will admit that the dollar amounts for each individual entry is not very great, but the principle is not in the dollar amount, it is in the action. This report shows, or these two reports show that the June 14^th matter was anything but an isolated case, but perhaps a pattern of behavior. For instance, on the June 14^th case, not only was the entry for the superintendent meeting wrong, but the mileage was also wrong. Mileage of 138 miles was claimed, I having been to that golf course know in fact that the mileage from Hudson is 120 miles, why the extra 18 miles? On June 5th, there's an entry for graduation to EP Rock for 9 miles. Round trip from the high school over to EP Rock is 2 miles. On August 27^th, there’s an entry to go to the Phipps for 6 miles, again, that mileage is only 2. And then curious enough on August 18^th, there’s a claim for expenses to attend President Bush’s at the Lakefront. First of all, the superintendent did not act in any official capacity. He was not a dignitary, he did not hold a special ticket, in fact he did not sit in any special sections. I, myself, only sat 3 rows from the stage while the superintendent sat back in the bleachers. But the implied mileage there was wrong, again the dollar amount is not very big, but the implied mileage is wrong, for the superintendent walked to that event, and I know he walked, because I walked behind him back up Vine Street. To state that Mr. Bernth voluntarily reimbursed the district for these expenses is not accurate. Those reimbursements came only after the expenses were revealed publicly and the threat of possible action was taken by the taxpayers. Needless to say, there was no one, including the board, who exemplified sainthood in this matter. The claim the taxpayers were not harmed is not totally accurate. In two months of expense reports we see evidence of expense report padding for mileage, and for events not under the official duties of the job. The question becomes, How long and to what extent has this been happening? May I remind you that padding of expenses is an intolerable offense, and in most places of business is, ah, can result in termination. The cost to this board and certain members of the administration certainly is credibility. Market and Johnson indicated that other members of this district were also invited to the June 2004 golf outing. A request for information as to the other parties has so far been denied. Question is, Could it also that the Finance Director was also invited to this golf outing, and if so, then he would know that that expense report of Ron Bernth was inaccurate. Anybody who was invited to that golf outing and knew the expense reports that Ron Bernth was making is just as culpable as the superintendent in this matter. And that includes members of the Finance Committee who saw these reports.

Annette Cook: Excuse me. Members of the Finance Committee do not routinely look at expense reports, they are turned into our Finance Department’s, we do not look at individual expense reports for any employee of the district.

Mark Pribonic: All right. Then I stand corrected.

Annette Cook: Okay, I would ask you to limit, to wrap up your comments, you have about…

Mark Pribonic: I will in about two minutes…

Annette Cook: …two seconds.

Mark Pribonic: …Or one minute. Perhaps the board member who was in the paper mocking those citizens asking for information and searching the truth would like to answer who else knew about or played in the aforementioned golf outing and were other non-reimbursable expenses incurred? In closing, it appears there is sufficient doubt as to the control of expense reporting in this district. Perhaps to restore public confidence, there should be an independent audit done outside of the normal audit procedures since the board has shown a tendency to show a lack of seriousness in searching for the truth in these matters, perhaps members who have no ties to this school district should be formed to oversee the process. Thank you.

Annette Cook: I would disagree that the board did not take this seriously, the board did deal with this matter in closed session, and again, the results were posted, I’m not looking for responses, it’s our turn to comment, and the suggestion that our Finance Department does a less-than-adequate job in controlling and looking at expenses is totally unfounded and is not true.

Mark Pribonic: Did you take a look at these expense reports as some of the mileages indicated?

Annette Cook: I don’t look at individual expense reports, that’s not my job. I look at the expenses, the checks that are written out, that’s the report I get.

Mark Pribonic: Then whose job is it to check the expense reports?

Annette Cook: It’s the Finance Departments. And, again, to suggest that they are not doing our job is incorrect. That is not true, Mr. Fett does an excellent job with the finances of this district.

Mark Pribonic: Did he originally okay, though, the expense report for the golf outing before the public got involved in it?

Annette Cook: Mr. Fett, would you care to answer that?

Arnie Fett: I don’t scrutinize the superintendent’s report whether he is telling the truth or not the truth on any report. I don’t think you would your CEO of your business, either. When it comes to the superintendent…

Mark Pribonic: I’m not the Finance Director…(inaudible speak-over)

Arnie Fett: I don’t think the finance person goes to your president of your company and says, hey, you know, I think you’re you’re cheating on that because I have no idea. I trust what he puts down is adequate.

Dan Tjornehoj: Madam Chair, Madam Chair, I believe we’ve had quite a bit of discussion on this topic, not only today, but in the past. I know I’ve seen exchange of requests for information on this topic, I think we’ve addressed those questions that have been presented to the school district, uhm. In the interests of time, and what we have coming up this evening, I would ask if the individual has, if Mr. Pribonic has additional questions to direct them to us in writing, and we can, but, uhm, I would just like to remind the board of the time restraints we are under this evening.

Annette Cook: Right. And again, if you do have further questions, please contact the board or speak with Mr. Fett directly, but, again, to suggest that our Finance Director is not doing his job is incorrect. And our last citizen this evening is Marion Shaw.

Marion Shaw: It’s Marion Shaw, 493 Countryview Road, Town of Hudson, there comes a time when everyone should take a step back and think about where they’ve been, where they’re going and what the intentions are, and I suggest tonight might be one of these nights. For almost 15 years, this administration, along with many of the current board members weaved and crafted the school district to their liking one that they didn’t have to answer to anybody…

Cynthia Crimmins: Mr. Shaw…

Marion Shaw: Then one day,…

Cynthia Crimmins: I’m sorry, I’m having a hard time understanding you. There’s a lot of reverb in here, and could you, I’m sorry, I don’t want to be rude, but…

Marion Shaw: What would you like me to do?

Cynthia Crimmins: Step back a little bit. Thank you.

Marion Shaw: Then one day, the public got interested. They wanted to become involved, they wanted to help craft a district that fit all. But then resistance began. Uhm, I call it the wink of the eye of the administrator, the October…

Annette Cook: Mr. Shaw, excuse me, but you asked to speak on district expenses, and this does not…

Marion Shaw: Because I have words that don’t match the description doesn’t make it fall outside…

Annette Cook: I would ask that you to keep your…

Marion Shaw: Would you like to content my, contain my speech in the limit?

Annette Cook: No, I would just like you to speak to the topic that you asked to speak on.

Marion Shaw: I am getting there.

Annette Cook: Okay.

Marion Shaw: And I’d like to say it’s ending with the most recent letter to the editor regarding request for information.

Annette Cook: Again, that does not relate to your topic of district expenses. Please contain your remarks to district expenses.

Marion Shaw: Are you limiting my speech, because I have a two-page story that I’ve written. I had it carefully timed and apparently you are limiting my 5-minute content, you’ve whittled it down to three, now what is it down to?

Annette Cook: I’m asking you to keep your comments related to the topic that you asked to speak on.

Marion Shaw: Would you like me to say expense, expense, expense and remove myself from the microphone?

Annette Cook: Mr. Shaw, you are out of order. Please follow the guidelines that have been set…

Marion Shaw: We have followed the guidelines. This board, after tens maybe even hundreds of questions regarding the reserves and their whereabouts, regardless of how many times you say they’ve been answered or write it in a letter, it still has not been answered about the district expenses as it pertains to the whereabouts of $4 and a half million dollars.

Mark Kaisersatt: Oh, my God,…

Annette Cook: Mr. Shaw, we have answered this question.

Marion Shaw: It has never been answered, I have a response from Arnie Fett that says it will take hours and hours, and hundreds, maybe thousands of dollars to calculate the response to that question. It has not been answered.

(Unknown board member): You have not accepted the answer.

Marion Shaw: The whereabouts and the irony…

Annette Cook: There’s not $4 and one-half million dollars missing.

Marion Shaw: …It’s laughable, at best, at this point.

Cynthia Crimmins: Mr. Shaw, Mr. Shaw, you know what, I have Friday off. I would take my day off to sit with you in the Finance Office and find an answer to your question. I would be happy to do that, do you have time on Friday?

Marion Shaw: No, I will not.

Cynthia Crimmins: Then, I’m sorry, but I’ve heard enough of this. I really have heard enough.

Marion Shaw: How about the Finance Committee who voted to waive the hundred dollar per hour usual contract fee for the renovation of the auditorium, but yet…

Cynthia Crimmins: Mr. Shaw, Mr. Shaw, I would be happy to sit with you on my day off…

Marion Shaw: …But yet, after several requests, these are about district expenses, mind you,…

Cynthia Crimmins: Mr. Shaw, Mr. Shaw, let’s go find it.

Marion Shaw: …Find out that 14 hours of the 21 hours were never billed which shorted the district of $1,400. How about the request for the information for the $17M? Then there’s the holiday party at the Lowell Inn, when first asked…

Priscilla Wyeth: Madam Chair, Madam Chair…

Marion Shaw: …the money came out of the pop fund. The next question, of course, was what is a pop fund?

Priscilla Wyeth: Mr. Shaw.

Annette Cook: Mr. Shaw, you’re not containing your comments.

Marion Shaw: This is exactly about district expenses, thank you.

Annette Cook: You’re going off on multiple…(inaudible)

Marion Shaw: The pop fund,…

Annette Cook: Excuse me. You are out of order, you’re not listening, you have gotten completely off your topic, you are going again on multiple topics.

Marion Shaw: What does my comment card say, please?

Priscilla Wyeth: Madam, Madam Chair.

Annette Cook: District expenses.

Marion Shaw: District expenses, okay.

Annette Cook: You have about (inaudible) to wrap up.

Marion Shaw: There’s a pop fund, when requested for information about the pop fund, the answer was that the Lowell Inn Holiday Party for the administrators was paid out of the pop fund. I asked what the pop fund was, calculated…

Annette Cook: These are all questions that have been answered for you in writing.

Marion Shaw: No, my question is, I didn’t get there because you’re limiting my speech.

Priscilla Wyeth: Oh, Madam Chair.

Marion Shaw: Why is the administration running money through the school district while at the same time making the children of the district pay for their holiday party?

Annette Cook: Mr. Shaw, Mr. Shaw, I’m going to ask you to take your seat, you are way out of line, you are out of order, and we need to move on…

(Laughter from unknown board members.)

(Unknown board member): God.

Annette Cook: …this evening, and we do have a closed session.

Priscilla Wyeth: And the next time…

Annette Cook: These questions have been answered for you…

Marion Shaw: They have not been answered.

Annette Cook: Yes, they have.

Priscilla Wyeth: Mr. Shaw, the next time I put 50 cents in the pop machine, I’ll be sure to leave a note.

Marion Shaw: That would be wonderful.

Annette Cook: Please take your seat. Okay, they’re run through the district expenses, because that is what is required, so please take your seat.

Marion Shaw: There is also one other unanswered question...

Annette Cook: Officer Crimmins, could you please escort…(inaudible)

Marion Shaw: …as far as who else was invited to the golf outing, that was provided in writing.

Priscilla Wyeth: Madam Chair, I believe we’ve addressed that issue.

Annette Cook: We are going to move onto Item 9.

Marion Shaw: And I would also ask that Officer Crimmins remove the board member that chastised me in the parking lot before the board meeting.

(Inaudible comments from officer regarding microphone.) Unknown officer placed hand on Shaw and escorted him out, meeting Officer Crimmins in the aisle.

Cynthia Crimmins: (Laughter) Okay, we’ll let the record show.

Annette Cook: We’re moving on, Item 9. Dr. Bernth is obviously not here this evening, are there any other administrators with comments? And I would just comment that the fund balance is public record. Every year at our annual meeting it is listed in black and white in a booklet for the public’s ah information, it is not something the district is hiding, and Mr. Weese was incorrect when he states that the public is not aware of it because again it is gone through at every annual meeting in September.

Arnie Fett: And I just would like to comment. I’ve asked both gentlemen to come into my office if they’re having troubles understanding obviously are in the letters we’ve responded to the men because they keep bringing ‘em over up, over and over, come into my office, sit down with me, I’ll walk through it, I will explain, but they would rather get up here I guess and (inaudible).

(Unknown board member) Yeah.

Priscilla Wyeth: Madam Chair, I would also like it to be known that one of the things that the public does not have an opportunity to see are the responses of board members and staff to each of these requests for information. We have literally, well, tens of thousands of pages of letters responding with information, with complete information to each of the issues that are brought up here and plus others that have not been brought up at the board level, and I’m sorry they are not necessarily public information, but they are directed to those people who have the questions, and I, it’s really, I think unfair and unnecessary for these questions to be raised again at the board level when the sole and intent purpose appears to be embarrass the board rather than to really get at the truth of the issue.

Cynthia Crimmins: And I have a comment, too, my comment is that I find it really reprehensible, and that’s not a word I really use lightly, but reprehensible that, uhm, accusations are being hurled at our Finance Director, uhm, innuendos that are cutting to the, uhm, core of his credibility and that persons who are hurling these accusations and innuendos are doing so with such disregard. I think that if these persons have the same kinds of accusations and innuendos about their intentions and motives being hurled in a public forum in this way I think that they would be incredibly, incredibly offended, and I think that that they would find ways to to stop that behavior and yet because Mr. Fett is hired by a public institution, uhm, there is an expectation that he has to sit and, uhm, take this and be the adult in the group, and I find that, uhm that he has more than, just so much more than, served that role for our community. I’m just really proud to be his colleague in higher education, and I just want to state for the record that I have a great, great deal of respect and trust in Mr. Fett’s financial management of the district; and I do not believe for one minute that there is any, not even a penny, missing anywhere. And I I just, I’ve offered now to take my own day off, uhm, and sit with this group and go over those finances and they have not not had time to do that and so I’d like to say that I also have a full, one full drawer, of a filing cabinet filled with the paper that has been given to them on this issue, and that’s not an exaggeration.

Mark Kaisersatt: Madam Chair, if I may, I see most of the people in question are leaving the room, but I’m the letter writer in question so I just want to respond to both Mr. Weese and Mr. Shaw and I guess to some extent Mr. Pribonic, I believe I stated in my letter to the editor that I supported the Wisconsin Open Records Law completely and enthusiastically, uhm. I even mentioned in there that a representative democracy depends on an informed electorate and so the law has my complete support. The intent of my letter, and I believe it was perfectly clear, was that I was objecting to frivolous requests for information. No one is challenging anyone’s right to ask, and in fact, one has a right to make frivolous requests, so my my plea, if you will, was for those folks that are making again frivolous requests to please consider the ramifications of what they are doing, uhm. Our administrative team, great as they are, is still limited in what they can accomplish in a day, and when we waste our resources answering these, I’ll call them ridiculous questions, uhm, it’s a burden on the entire district. Ah, One letter writer, in particular, sent in 13 questions in a single day, ah, I should say 13 requests in a single day, and most of these requests had multiple questions. One of these 13 requests had 9 separate questions regarding our high school pop machines. Now I understand that voters and the electorate needs to know what’s going on their district, that’s great, I applaud their participation, but I would ask that these folks could be judicious in their requests and realize the limited time that our administration has.

(Inaudible comment from audience.)

Annette Cook: We would move on to Item 11, Board Committees and Advisory Council reports, and I would just reiterate what Mr. Kaisersatt said about the amount of time that has been expended by our administration on these requests, and some of these requests have been in duplicate and they are repeated requests and again, this takes administrative time, it takes support staff time, uhm, and it’s not just that, it’s also taxpayer money that is being spent to respond to these requests. 11, Board Committees, Advisory Counsel reports, where we have the Committee assignments for this coming year, you received those, uhm, I did not receive feedback, so I’m assuming that you are okay with the committees that you were assigned to…

(End transcript at 1:13:28)